Mrs Belikov
by IHatePotatoes
Summary: "You're going to regret your decision Rose. Marrying him is the worst mistake you'll ever make. You're much better off without him." Rose could recall those words perfectly in her head and she wished she had paid heed to those words. Her life had become miserable ever since she made the worst decision of her life- marrying the cold, heartless Dimitri Belikov.
1. First Meeting

**SUMMARY: Rose Hathaway is a waitress living in a shabby one room apartment with a measly salary and a five year old child- Mason to support. How did she get in this mess?**

**Five years ago, her best guy friend Mason Ashford and his girlfriend Jillian were brutally murdered by a psychopath Nathan. Fortunately their young child- Little Mason was at his babysitter's place at the time. Refusing to let the child go in foster care, she decides to raise him as her own. Her mother unhappy with her decision kicked her out of the house and left her struggling at the age of 18. Luckily, her best friend- Lissa supports her decision and helps her get a job as well as raise Mason. Her life turns upside down when the rich bachelor Dimitri Belikov makes her an offer she can't refuse. Has Rose actually made a mistake or is it something that will make her life better?**

* * *

_ "You're going to regret your decision Rose. Marrying him is the worst mistake you'll ever make. You're much better off without him." Rose could recall those words perfectly in her head and she wished she had paid heed to those words, a very wrong thought for a newly wedded wife. Her life had become miserable ever since she made the worst decision of her life- marrying the cold, heartless, billionaire- Dimitri Belikov._

* * *

Rose POV

I sighed as I cleaned the tables at the restaurant I worked at. I had worked double shifts yesterday and had barely got any sleep. I had managed to pay off Mason's school fees and supplies but I was left with the bills.

I didn't have the money to hire a babysitter for Mason but Alberta my boss had been kind enough to allow me to bring him along. The other waitresses had been willing to help me and kept an eye on him while I took orders.

I glanced back at the cash counter where Mason sat with a colouring book, his face scrunched up in concentration and his mouth slightly open with his tongue peeking out, his wild red hair poking in different directions. At such times he reminded me of his father. He was a carbon copy of Mason Ashford and he was the only reason that kept me from giving up. Seeing the smile on Mason's face as he chattered happily kept me going.

His father and I had been great friends right from kindergarten. He had supported me when my mother was too busy to care, shared his lunch with me when my mother was too busy to prepare mine, helped me with my homework when I had nobody. We had even dated for a while but it had never worked out.

I was pulled out of my thoughts by the bell at the door. An extremely tall foreigner stood with a little girl just in front of him. He chose a table in my area but the little girl didn't follow him. Instead she made her way to the cash counter towards Mason. She looked slightly older to him but was shyer than I expected. I turned and made my way to her father who was busy working on his laptop.

" Welcome to Grab and Go my name is Rose and I'm your server for today. What can I get you?" I began as cheery as possible. He didn't even glance up from his laptop before answering.

" One coffee and a cheese burger." He had a slight Russian accent but his voice was hard and monotonous.

"It'll be ready in 15 minutes." I took down his order and made my way to the kitchen. On my way out I noticed that Mason was chattering happily with the girl. I could see a spark in her beautiful brown eyes. Her eyes were the same colour as her father's but his were cold and hard while her's were like melted chocolate.

I went over to Mason and ruffled his hair.

"Hey buddy, who's your new friend." I sent a friendly smile towards her and she smiled back shyly. Manson instead glared at me for ruffling his hair and embarrassing him in front of his new friend.

"Her name's Sofia, and she's seven years old." Mason replied.

"Wow, you're a big girl Sofia! Would you two like anything to drink?"

"I'd like an orange juice please." It was the first time I had heard her talk. Her voice was soft and perfectly polite.

"I want one too Rose" Mason called.

"I'll be right back Sofia."

I smiled at both of them and before I could go Sofia blurted out "You're really pretty." Her statement made me smile all the more and I could see her blush.

"Thank you Sofia, and I think you're really pretty too."

"You think so?" Her voice sounded insecure.

I shook my head "I know so." This earned me a huge smile from Sofia as she flashed her sparkling teeth, her eyes glittering. She went back to colouring with Mason and I left them both to that.

The Russian's order was ready and I carried it to him. This time he looked up when I placed his coffee on the table. "Where's Sofia? Tell her her cheese burger's ready."

"She's at the counter with my son Mason, I'll tell her." I could see the look of disgust he sent me. A lot of people gave me that look when I said Mason was my son. They thought it was irresponsible for a 17yr old to get pregnant and that we couldn't take care of kids at such a young age. What he didn't know was that Mason wasn't my son but he didn't need to know that, he could judge me if he wanted.

I went back to Sofia and told her her meal was ready and I could feel the Russian's eyes on my back. Her face fell when I told her that her dad wanted her back.

"You can join Mason after you eat. He's not going anywhere." She readily agreed and skipped off to finish her meal. After she was done, I saw her go back to Mason and resume their conversation but I couldn't observe them for long.

More customers had come and it was a busy night. I was tired by the end of the day. It was closing time and the Russian still hadn't left. He had been working on his laptop all the while. Mason and the girl had slept off a long time ago.

"I'm sorry sir, we're closing. You have to leave." He nodded and went over to wake Sofia up.

"What are you doing? Don't wake her up."

"She's not going to walk unless I wake her." He glared at me like I was dumb. I glared back at him and carried Sofia in my arms.

"Where's your car?" He pointed in the opposite direction and I followed him out till his shiny convertible. Once he had unlocked the car, I gently placed his daughter on the back seat and smoothed her hair away from her forehead.

Without a word I left him and walked back to the diner to lock up. I struggled with the keys in one hand and Mason on the other. When I was done I turned to look for a cab. I usually walked it up to my place but there was no way I could do that with Mason sleeping.

I was out of luck, the roads were empty and I nearly didn't notice a shiny convertible coming after me.

"Get in Rose, I'll drop you home." I had no other choice so I carefully laid Mason beside Sofia and sat in the passenger seat. The atmosphere in the car was tense and there was no conversation apart from me giving him directions to my house. When he stopped in front of my apartment, I slid out quietly to get Mason but he was faster. He carried Mason and motioned me to lead the way.

I didn't like the look of disgust he gave when he saw the crumbling plaster around my flat. I unlocked the door quickly and reached out to take Mason. I didn't want to invite him in. He allowed me to take Mason but stopped me from closing the door with his expensive leather shoes. He surveyed my apartment with his cold calculating eyes and then turned to leave without a word.

* * *

Review?


	2. The Deal

The next day I woke up earlier than usual because I hadn't been able to get enough sleep. Why had that Russian entered my house? I knew that I didn't live in an extremely safe neighborhood and bringing a stranger home was dangerous for both me as well as Mason.

After preparing Mason's lunch, I set off to her first job where I worked as a receptionist at an office under a nasty boss called Stan. I never got along with him because he was always there to pick at my smallest flaws like why my uniform was crumpled or why I was a minute late. During my lunch break I picked up Mason from school and dropped him off at Lissa's where she offered to keep him for the night. I gratefully accepted and rushed home for a quick lunch.

I made herself a quick sandwich and plonked off on her rather old couch as the newspaper caught her eye. 'Belikov expands business by buying a diner.' For some reason the article caught my eye and I was surprised to read that it was the diner that I worked that. What surprised me even more was the picture alongside the article.

Shit. It was the Russian from last night. I had served the owner last night. A knock on the door pulled me out of my thoughts and I was surprised to find the Russian at the door. Like yesterday, he pushed past her rudely and entered her house. He surveyed the surroundings like yesterday with disgust evident on his face.

In the sunlight, I saw him clearer than she had last night. He had shoulder length chocolate brown hair that nearly softened his expression. Nearly. He had nice biceps and a well-toned stomach. A general verdict would be that he was hot or handsome but to me he was simply arrogant and annoying. He thought that he could barge into her apartment uninvited just because he owned the diner?

" What do you want Belikov? Just because you're my boss doesn't mean you can barge into my house."

He ignored her completely. "Oh so now you know who I am? I was waiting for you to recognise me." He plopped himself on her couch and picked up the notebook that lay on the coffee table. It was my accounts book, the one in which I had circled my rent and my bills in red because they were still pending. Irritated, I snatched the book from his hand and he raised his hands in mock surrender.

He got up and went to my kitchen where he again surveyed my empty kitchen cabinets and my refrigerator with barely any groceries. He wrinkled his nose and dusted his hands.

"What do you survive on? You've got barely anything to eat." I almost felt tears at the back of my eyes. No matter how hard I worked, at the end of every month I was back to square one. What frustrated me was that Dimitri worked half of what I did and he was richer.

"If you've come to insult me, you can leave. If you don't, I'm calling the cops."

" You're going to call the cops on your boss? The cops can't push out your new landlord of his own apartment." This had to be some kind of nightmare; he was first her boss, and now her landlord?

"Look, I'm late for work. Stan's going to kill me and if you have no work you can leave."

"I actually have some work with you. I came here to ask you to marry me." I was shocked and once I was sure that he wasn't drunk,high or joking I spoke.

"Are you insane? We barely get along and now you're asking me to marry you? You barely know me, how can you love me?" This caused him to laugh.

"Love? No way, I don't love you. Think of it as an arrangement or convenience, I need a babysitter and you need the money. It's perfect for both of us."

"You could barely look at me until yesterday; you thought I was irresponsible and immature. If you want a babysitter, why marry me?"

"Well, If I get a babysitter she may run away right when I need her and besides a young beautiful unmarried babysitter gives the press stories to spin. The last time I hired one, the press said that she was pregnant with my love child and that's why I was paying her to keep my mouth shut. I lost a lot of investors and I'm not leaving scope for another scandal. Plus I ran a background check on you, Mason's not your son he's your friend's. You're struggling but not ready to put him in foster care, you're good with children and Sofia already likes you?"

"What about the press? Won't they suspect anything?"

"No they won't, you're pretty desirable to look at. You've got a nice body and ass. A bit of makeup and new clothes any fool can believe that I fell in love with you." I had never felt so disgusted and cheap. He spoke to me like I was some cheap object that he owned."

"And if I don't want to marry you, you'll leave me alone." He chuckled and the sound made me cringe.

"That's not an option. You still have the bills and rent to pay. You refuse and you lose both the job and the apartment."

I thought carefully, I really needed the job and the money. I couldn't depend on my friends forever.

"What will my duties be?"

"You'll have to look after my daughter for one, and some other duties of a wife and other than that this marriage is only in the name. You'll be paid two thousand dollars a month, your food, shelter, clothing and accessories free but this arrangement will be a secret. Mason's life will be improved; he'll live in a better society, go to a better school and have everything that kids his age get to enjoy. Think of it as a favour to your dead friend's son. You'll be depriving him if you refuse."

Feeling completely helpless and frustrated, I had no option but to agree to his terms and marry him if it could be called a marriage. I needed the money and I would find a way out when I had enough. I could always divorce him if things didn't work out.

He threw a small box at me. " Here's a ring from Tiffany. It'll fool the press and your friends. Wear it, I bet people have already seen me come and go from this apartment, they'll soon know that your my wife."

I slipped the huge rock on my finger. And with that I got ready to tell Lissa and Mason the news.


	3. Convincing Lissa

I needed the money and I would find a way out when I had enough. I could always divorce him if things didn't work out.

He threw a small box at me. " Here's a ring from Tiffany. It'll fool the press and your friends. Wear it, I bet people have already seen me come and go from this apartment, they'll soon know that your my wife."

I slipped the huge rock on my finger. And with that I got ready to tell Lissa and Mason the news.

* * *

Rose was nervous by the time she had reached Lissa's door. What was she going to tell her? It was the first time Rose was going to be hiding something big from Lissa. Lissa was like a family member to her, Rose couldn't find the courage to hide things from Lissa. Plus if Rose needed to talk to anyone about the issue, Lissa was the only one she could trust.

Rose took a deep breath before ringing Lissa's door bell.

" You don't look like you're engaged, you look like someone has passed a death sentence on you." The Russian had some nerve to say that. Funny, that's how she felt.

"I'm not engaged by choice and you out of all the people shouldn't be telling me that."

"You had a choice Rosemarie. Besides, you have to keep up the act. You wouldn't want anyone getting suspicious would you?"

Rosemarie? Eww.. "Don't call me Rosemarie! You sound like my mother." She shut up immediately. She didn't want to open up to him about her mother; the topic opened her old wounds. Why had her own mother deserted her? Rose had never really showed how hurt she was by her mother's actions but deep down Rose wished she could change what happened in the past. No, she still wouldn't give up on Mason but she could have tried harder to convince her mom…

"Why shouldn't I call you Rosemarie? It's your name, isn't it? Or you prefer some stupid name like cupcake or baby?"

" If you want them to believe you're engaged to me you'll have to call me Rose. That's what those who like me call me."

He didn't bother to respond because the door flew open and a smiling blonde stood welcoming them.

"Rose!" She squealed. " I haven't seen you in ages? Why did you skip work? What's the reason behind the sudden visit? You usually pick up Mason and leave…" She flung her arms around Rose and pulled her into a hug. Dimitri cleared his throat behind Rose.

" Aren't you going to introduce me to your friend? Although I think we've met before." Dimitri smiled and Rose couldn't help but admit the guy way hot and he could be charming when he wanted to. Still, that didn't make him any more appealing to him, she still disliked him.

"Oh I'm sorry, Dimitri, this is my friend Lissa." Now was her turn to drop the bomb. "And Lissa, this is Dimitri, my fiancé."

Lissa's face held shock, then confusion followed by recognition. " I believe I've met Mr. Belikov before. Come in both of you. Dinner will be ready in a matter of minutes."

Lissa's house held the aroma of grilled chicken and brownies. " Rose, I need your help with the chicken. Mr Belikov why don't you make yourself comfortable in the living room? Christian's there with Mason. I'm sure you recognise him?"

"Please call me Dimitri, Lissa."

Lissa dragged me into the kitchen. "Calm down Lissa! What are you doing?"

" Rose are you insane? A week ago you had no boyfriend, no lover, you didn't date anyone and now you say you're engaged to that FOREIGN THING?"

Rose was shocked, Lissa was an angel, she never hated anyone in her entire life. What brought such a sudden reaction. Lissa waited for a response wile she studied Rose. Before Rose could answer Lissa interrupted.

"Rose,why do I feel like you're hiding something? I saw the way you look at him, you don't feel anything for him. Don't try and deny it." Lissa knew Rose better than she knew herself.

She ignored Rose's attempt to speak and continued.

"Rose he's not a great guy to be involved with. I don't care if he's a fling or whatever. Please, he's going to hurt you. I met him two years ago when I attended a Christmas party with Christian's clients and partners. He was there and I walked in on him kissing Christian's aunt when his girlfriend was on the table talking how great he was. She found lipstick stains on him later and she questioned him and he dumped her in front of everybody without giving a damn about her feelings. He didn't like Tasha either, she was just a sex toy. He's ruthless and he feels no guilt."

"Lissa, it's my decision, and my choice. Mason needs a father figure and I need to settle down."

" Rose you're lying, he'll never be a father to him. Is this about his money? Rose he wants something from you and that's it, he's going to use you and treat you horribly."

"Of course it's about the money Lissa. How long can I depend on you? How long can Mason depend on Christian as a father figure? You're pregnant Liss, when you have kids, Mason's going to lose Christian."

"Rose stop thinking like that? You know Christian won't ignore Mason. He treats him like a son."

" Lissa how can you say that things will be the same? And when Mason grows up he's going to realise that he's missing a father. I can't ignore this opportunity, Mason could have everything he needs, Belikov is willing to pay for his education, my living EVERYTHING! I thought about it, all he wants is for me to take care of his daughter and I like her. She's a nice kid and Mason gets along with her. I have to give it a shot, I'll divorce him if it gets too bad."

"I see that you've already made your decision and I can't stop you. You're going to regret your decision Rose. Marrying him is the worst mistake you'll ever make. You're much better off without him."

With that Lissa turned, grabbed a pair of oven mittens and took the chicken out of then oven.

"Dinner's ready!" She called. Rose knew that Lissa was a bit upset but she would accept Rose's decision and that's what Rose loved about her friend. Following Lissa, Rose carried the salad and placed it on the table.

As soon as she sat next to Dimitri, he examined her face carefully to make sure that she hadn't said anything to Lissa. Hoping that her face didn't reveal anything, she continued eating as Mason chatted happily. He seemed happy with whatever he saw on her face because he turned and started a conversation with Mason about school.

Relieved Rose smiled at Lissa as she ate. Marrying Dimitri couldn't be that bad, could it?


	4. I hate you Dimitri Belikov

It was a surprise to Rose that Dimitri could be so well behaved. All the while that she had known him, he'd always been cold, rude and refused to make normal conversation and she had this odd vibe that Dimitri was scared of Lissa. Why would a 6 foot Russian be scared of sweet, innocent Lissa, Rose pondered. There was only one reason : Lissa could be a real bitch when she wanted and Rose had seen that in high school and Lissa probably knew something that Dimitri was hell-bent on hiding. She would have to find out from Lissa, but if Lissa hadn't told her anything yet, it meant that she didn't plan on telling it ever.

There was only one task ahead of Rose and she knew that it could either be a very easy task or a very difficult one. She had to tell Mason that she was getting married. Mason could either be really happy about his new family and his father or really upset about sharing his Rosie with two other people. Mason was a good kid, he was rarely selfish and had gotten along well with Dimitri's daughter and Rose was hoping that he would take the news well.

After dinner she helped Lissa clear up the table hoping that Lissa would talk more about Dimitri but she got nothing. Lissa only hinted a few times that Rose should think again about what she was doing but other than that, she got nothing. Rose was slightly disappointed but didn't say anything. After dinner, Rose left with Dimitri and Mason to get them ice-cream hoping that it would make the whole situation better.

Rose took a deep breath as she readied to tell Mason the news. He was happily slurping his ice-cream oblivious to the what Rose had to say.

"Mase, remember how you asked me why you didn't have a father?"

Mason nodded "Yes, you told me that my daddy and mommy became and angels so that they could watch over me better at all times."

"Yes baby, they are angels now but they love you. How would you feel if you got another daddy?"

Mason thought about it " Who would be my new daddy Rosie?"

"Dimitri, he wants me to marry him and live in his house."

He perked at that " Will I be able to see Sophia everyday? Will she be my friend then?"

She relaxed at Mason's excitement and nodded but before she could stop him, he jumped out of his seat and sped off like a bullet towards Dimitri and wrapped his tiny arms around his legs. He nearly knocked Dimitri's ice-cream out of his hands. A very annoyed look came on Dimitri's face and before she could do anything Dimitri roughly pushed Mason away from his leg.

Mason tumbled with the force and fell but Rose caught him before he could hit the ground and balanced him on her hip.

His big blue eyes were filled with tears and his bottom lip quivered as his nose slowly turned pink. Tears started to fall out of his eyes and she tried my best to sooth him.

"He doesn't want me Rosie. He likes you but not me. Aren't daddies supposed to love their children?"

"How could anyone not love you Mason? It's his loss Mason and if he doesn't like you then I don't like him."

Rose shot an angry glare towards Dimitri. He could hurt her all he wanted but he didn't have the right to hurt her baby. Mason was just a kid who was excited. Did he behave like this with his daughter as well?

Mason continued to sob against her neck until he fell asleep. She refused to speak or glance towards Dimitri throughout the ride. When he stopped the car near her apartment she stepped out of his car and turned to him.

"Take one more harsh action towards my son and this deal's over. I don't care how much money I loose or if I have to look for a new apartment. Mason is my first priority." He didn't say anything and Rose was happy to have rendered him speechless but as Rose started to walk away he spoke.

"I"ll treat him however I like, and remember Rose, if you lose your job I doubt the social services will allow you to keep Mason. I'm surprised they're letting you keep him seeing how your"re living." His tone was filled with disgust. Rose fought back tears, he could treat her however he wanted and she could do nothing about it. She felt helpless, why had she ever crossed paths with this man. He was never going to keep her happy with his constant threats and taunts.

"I hate you Dimitri Belikov, I can't imagine what a man like you could get from harassing me. Why do you torture me? What have I ever done to you?"

"I torture you because I can Rosemarie and because it's amusing and there's nothing you can do about it. I want you to be ready by 7 am tomorrow, we'll be shifting to my house and I want you to meet my family and remember, no funny business around them. The threats that I threw now are nothing compared to what I will do to you if you utter a word in front of my family."

Rose wanted to cry, what had she gotten herself into? She simply nodded and moved to her apartment to cry her eyes out


	5. Meeting the family

"I hate you Dimitri Belikov, I can't imagine what a man like you could get from harassing me. Why do you torture me? What have I ever done to you?"

"I torture you because I can Rosemarie and because it's amusing and there's nothing you can do about it. I want you to be ready by 7 am tomorrow, we'll be shifting to my house and I want you to meet my family and remember, no funny business around them. The threats that I threw now are nothing compared to what I will do to you if you utter a word in front of my family."

Rose wanted to cry, what had she gotten herself into? She simply nodded and moved to her apartment to cry her eyes out.

* * *

Rose hadn't slept well the previous night which automatically put her in a crabby mood the next morning. She wasn't looking forward to spending the day with Dimitri and his family. They were going to be just as bad as Dimitri and every muscle in her body screamed to take a couple of sleeping pills and go back to bed instead of getting dressed.

Noise in her kitchen woke her out of her sleep, she rushed to the kitchen to stop Mason from raiding the cookie jar and nearly fell when she saw that it was Dimitri cooking. Her nose conformed that it was pancakes and she was really grateful but at the same time suspicious.

"What are you doing in my apartment? And how did you get in?" He didn't reply which made Rose wonder whether he had heard her or simply chose to ignore her.

"I'm making sure that you're not trying to weasel your way out of meeting my family. I want you to meet them before it's in the newspapers. And Rose, hiding the spare key below the mat isn't very innovative."

Infuriating, bossy, rude man. How could he get in her house whenever he wanted and do whatever he wanted?

Mason appeared in the room before she could launch herself in Dimitri's direction and hit his head with a frying pan. She really longed to do that after the way he had behaved last night.

" Rosie, is he making pancakes?"

"Yes honey, you want some?" Mason nodded and at the same time Dimitri placed two syrup coated ones in front of Mason.

"I love pancakes." Mason shot a brilliant smile towards Dimitri and Rose wished that the kid wasn't so forgiving. She noticed that he placed a similar plate in front of her and she dug in without protest.

If he was going to cook like that for her everyday, then Rose was sure that she wouldn't mind this marriage so much. The thought shocked her, this was the man who was forcing her to marry him and practically making her his slave and she was giving in just because of some heavenly pancakes?

Once she was done, she helped Mason take a shower before showering herself and dressing up quickly. She chose a long maroon skirt and a black top. She didn't want everyone noticing the bags under her eyes so she covered it up with some makeup. She kept her makeup minimal and let her hair dry naturally in loose waves. Slipping her feet into some black heels and some earrings in her ears, she was ready.

Rose quickly dressed Mason in a pair of blue shorts and a dark green t-shirt that Lissa had gifted him on Christmas. Mason seemed super excited especially after eating the sugary pancakes and Rose knew that it would be hard to control him the whole ride but part of her was happy. Dimitri was going to suffer with her if Mason was so bubbly and for once she would be able to inflict some sort of pain on him and she wasn't disappointed.

Once in the car Mason amused himself by jabbing Dimitri's chair with his foot and pressed his nose firmly to the window pane leaving marks all over it while Rose inwardly cheered Mason to go on. She watched in great amusement as his jaw clenched in anger and a muscle near his eye twitched as he tried to control his anger but nothing compared to what happened next. Mason absolutely refused to sit down and when Dimitri hit the brakes, he fell forward knocking Dimitri's hot cup of coffee all over his expensive pants.

Rose burst out laughing as Dimitri's jumped and muttered curses under his breath.

" That kid of yours is an animal, you've been asking him to do it on purpose haven't you?"

"Well you fed him sugary pancakes comrade, and the kid knows his own kind. I didn't teach him anything" Rose snapped back and handed Dimitri a tissue to clean his stained pants.

After the coffee incident, the ride was fairly uneventful as Mason gave up irritating Dimitri's and instead settled in his seat and fell asleep. Rose watched in awe as Dimitri drove away from her shabby locality to a posher part of the town and huge houses came into view as nervousness settled in the pit of hr stomach. Would they like her or disapprove of her and what if they didn't approve of Mason? She couldn't leave him, he was far too important to her but would they force her to abandon him?

Fighting the urge to bite her nails Rose sat as patiently as she could while Dimitri continued to drive. After what seemed like hours, Dimitri parked in front of a huge house. It didn't look as new as the other houses in the area but was still extremely beautiful and Rose couldn't help but stare in awe. Mason too woke up as the car came to a halt and Rose was about to get out when Dimitri stopped her by clasping her wrist tightly in his hand.

" Remember Roza, no funny business." She simply nodded mutely as he loosed his grip on her arm. He led Rose into his home with Mason balanced on her hip. Rose could hear voices of women from the kitchen as Dimitri led her into the room.

Upon noticing their arrival, Dimitri's mother launched herself into her son's arms and his other sisters followed but when they noticed her, the room fell silent. Identical looks of shock and confusion were on all the faces.

" She looks so much like Valerie..." a surprised voice broke the silence. Rose caught Dimitri sending a warning look towards the speaker who Rose observed was perhaps only one or two years younger than her.

The lady Rose assumed to be Dimitri's mother was the first to recover.

" Dimitri mentioned bringing a girl over but he never told us that you were so pretty. And my son has obviously forgotten his manners and hasn't introduced us. I'm Olena, you must be Rose."

Rose stuck out her hand politely but before she could react, she was pulled into a tight hug which surprised her greatly. A while later, after Rose had spent over an hour with Dimitri's family she couldn't believe that a heartless creature like him could have such a loving family but she didn't fail to notice the way he behaved around them.

Olena bustled in the kitchen getting ready for lunch while Mason stood shyly behind Rose. Olena bent in front of Mason and ruffled his hair which amazed Rose.

" You must be hungry, did you have breakfast?"

" Dimitri made pancakes for me and Rosie" Mason answered cheerfully and Olena muttered something about raising Dimitri right which instantly annoyed Rose.

She knew that the only reason Dimitri had made breakfast for them was to impress his mother. Before she could react an excited young boy of about Mason's age emerged and introduced himself as Paul. He grabbed Mason's hand and said something about playing with toys and dragged Mason off who followed him with similar excitement.

Rose stood awkwardly in the kitchen with nothing to do when two giggling girls which Rose realised were Dimitri's sisters Sonya and Viktoria dragged Rose upto their roomsand told her all about Dimitri's childhood. Rose remembered someone called Valerie being mentioned and decided to ask " Viktoria, you said I looked like someone called Valerie, who was she."

"oh, she was Sofia's mother.." before Viktoria could elaborate Rose caught the glare she received from the other sister which made Viktoria silent. Luckily Olena called them for lunch and Rose quietly followed them out from the room.

The mystery about Valerie was pushed to the back of her mind by the time they had eaten. Paul had sat next to her and told her all about his new train set and even called her off guard when he said that 'Uncle Dimka' was lucky to have a pretty girlfriend like her. Rose found herself enjoying herself but Dimitri had to drop the bombshell. He cleared his throat attracting attention and spoke

" Rose and I are engaged." The room broke into chaos with mixed reactions, while Olena scolded her son about being so secretive and hiding it from her, Viktoria and Sonya argued over who had said they were engaged first. Dimitri's eldest sister Karolina clapped her hands and said that she was starting to suspect Dimitri's sexuality and she was glad he was getting engaged but what surprised Rose most was the reaction of the old lady sitting opposite her.

She leaned towards Rose and whispered " You're a weak girl who cannot stand for herself and you're letting my grandson take advantage of your situation. The day I approve of you will be the day you realise the power you have over my grandson." With that she abruptly left the dining room.

The rest of the meal went pretty well and by the time they were ready to leave Paul and Mason were firm friends because Rose had heard Viktoria yelling followed by Mason and Paul running dressed in her lingerie with ridiculous amounts of makeup on their faces.

Olena hugged Rose and asked her to visit soon followed by Viktoria. The old lady who Rose guessed to be Dimitri's grand mother simply pushed past Rose rudely muttering something under her breath.

Dimitri Belikov had clearly inherited his manners from his grand-mother.


	6. Not going to let her in

She leaned towards Rose and whispered " You're a weak girl who cannot stand for herself and you're letting my grandson take advantage of your situation. The day I approve of you will be the day you realise the power you have over my grandson." With that she abruptly left the dining room.

The rest of the meal went pretty well and by the time they were ready to leave Paul and Mason were firm friends because Rose had heard Viktoria yelling followed by Mason and Paul running dressed in her lingerie with ridiculous amounts of makeup on their faces.

Olena hugged Rose and asked her to visit soon followed by Viktoria. The old lady who Rose guessed to be Dimitri's grand mother simply pushed past Rose rudely muttering something under her breath.

Dimitri Belikov had clearly inherited his manners from his grand-mother.

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D POV (AN:because a Guest reader asked for it, hope this helps you understand Dimitri)

He watched Rose as she slept in his car, he'd offered to drive her back home after she met his family. Dimitri had perfected the mask of control, learned to keep a blank and expressionless face so that others wouldn't know what he was thinking but if anyone watched Dimitri closely, they could tell that he was nervous. Not nervous whether they liked Rose, he didn't really care about her well-being he told himself, he was nervous that she may blurt out the entire story.

Many people thought that money meant everything to Dimitri, many others thought that the only thing that ever mattered to Dimitri was Valerie and now that she was gone, he had nothing to lose which made him ruthless and cold. What most people didn't know was that the only thing that really mattered to Dimitri was his family. His mother,sisters,grandmother,nephew and niece were his world.

His mother would be extremely disappointed if she knew what he was doing to Rose, she would be quite upset and he could almost hear her say that 'it wasn't the way he was raised, he was raised to respect women'. If there was something he couldn't bear, it was the sight of his mother when she knew he'd let her down. According to him, the only way he could actually make sure that Rose never uttered a word was if she was kept on a tight leash.

If he could make sure that she feared him so much that she wouldn't even dream of spoiling his plans, he'd be safe. He snuck another look at Rose's sleeping form, she looked younger than her 23 years and was quite good looking he would admit. She could have easily married some rich guy and managed better, but Dimitri had caught her in his trap.

Dimitri didn't love her, he didn't really want to marry her, but watching her struggle gave him some sort of twisted pleasure. Women were fickle and cunning creatures according to him. He'd once believed they were angels, he once believed that he had his very own angel, but she'd turned out to be a monster.

Dimitri couldn't stop loving Valerie and that was what made him more frustrated and bitter, she'd left him without a second glance, killed their unborn child and yet he couldn't move on. Every single time he saw Rose, every single time he hurt her, he imagined her to be Valerie. He imagined that she was getting what she deserved for hurting him, for leaving behind their daughter that Dimitri couldn't bear to look at because it reminded him of Valerie.

Rose just happened to be the person he vented his frustration on. Dimitri's wealth attracted a lot of journalists to spin stories about his private life, about his daughter who belonged to an ex-girlfriend.

They never got the story right, but he didn't want to give them a chance. He wanted them to believe his fake story and stop meddling into his private life. What Dimitri didn't like was that his family actually liked Rose, Yeva who openly displayed her distaste of his previous girlfriends had taken in Rose a lot better which was something new.

He didn't was Rose to be a permanent part of his family, he didn't want to get attached to her which meant that he had to keep his distance from her, but he was a man and she was a beautiful woman. He was physically attracted to her and he was going to take advantage of that, but it didn't help that she looked a little too similar to the woman he loved.

The car came to a halt in front of Rose's shabby apartment complex and Dimitri wrinkled his nose in disgust. Sighing he decided to wake Rose up, he wasn't going to carry her all the way to her apartment but before his brain could stop him, his fingers entangled themselves in a lock of her silky, dark brown hair.

Surprisingly, it was a lot softer than it looked and he found himself leaning closer and stroking her cheek. Stopping himself in time, Dimitri felt frustration and anger building in him. How could she attract him to her without doing anything, he had to remember, she was with him only for the money and nothing else. All women were like that, they wanted only money, feelings were nothing to them.

He shook her arm roughly to wake her up and took pleasure in watching her wince as she woke up and rubbed her arm.

" Wouldn't kill you to be more gentle while waking someone up you know."

" Roza, I'm not your personal driver and I don't have all the time in the world. Get out of my car."

"Fine asshole, but I can see through the whole 'I have no feelings act' you've set for yourself. I saw the way you behave with your family Dimitri, this arrangement would be a lot easier if you treated me like you treat them."

His jaw clenched in anger as he watched her speak.

" Get out Rose." With that he watched her silently as she hoisted a sleeping Mason on her hip and struggled towards her apartment.

" I'll pick you up at 10 tomorrow, you're going to have to pack a few things so that you can move in with me." He called after her but received no reply.

Dimitri did feel guilt as he drove away from her apartment, he could have treated her better, he could have tried to make peace between them but he was scared. Scared that she'd hurt him, scared that she'd take advantage of his weakness and Dimitri was sure he couldn't take anymore heartbreak than he'd already suffered.

Dimitri had enough space for Rose in his house, in his life, but there was never going to be any space for her in his heart and he was going to make sure that it stayed that way.


	7. Old secrets

**Previously: Dimitri did feel guilt as he drove away from her apartment, he could have treated her better, he could have tried to make peace between them but he was scared. Scared that she'd hurt him, scared that she'd take advantage of his weakness and Dimitri was sure he couldn't take anymore heartbreak than he'd already suffered.**

**Dimitri had enough space for Rose in his house, in his life, but there was never going to be any space for her in his heart and he was going to make sure that it stayed that way.**

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**Aloha people! I'm exactly the kind of author that I hate (you know the ones that start something and then update once in two months) I'm SO SO SORRY, but I'm either stuck with school/exams or I'm busy cleaning up my stuff and getting rid of all the stuff I've accumulated in my house over the past year or I'm out with friends(who I rarely get to see nowadays).**

**Anyway, I will not bore you guys with he details of my schedule, but I have good news! I have a 10 day break because I'm done with year 10 and my school doesn't start immediately. Which means I have loads of time to update (even though I'm sick and I've got to clear up all my old books and stuff). So hopefully I'll get over my laziness and get to work :D**

**And this chapter is an RPOV 'cause nobles suggested it(thank you for sticking with this story and the others despite how few and far my updates are) And if you guys want a chapter in a particular POV, send me a PM and I'll try to get it done :) **

* * *

**Rose POV**

Dimitri wasn't one of Rose's favourite people and that wasn't only because he'd been treating her badly. At sharp five thirty in the morning, Dimitri had barged into her house and woken her up. Rose wouldn't even stir if it wasn't anywhere near seven especially on a Saturday morning.

He'd looked ready to start his day and he'd obviously taken his bath and had breakfast by the time he came over. He said something about waking up early to exercise but Rose had been to busy cursing him under her breath. She'd been even more annoyed at him because he looked delicious and do able when Rose was still conscious of her morning breath. Damn that rude Russian, she was going to teach him a lesson when she moved to his house.

" I've called the moving company to pack all your stuff, just take whatever you need for today and we'll be on our way."

" Why, you didn't even need my permission before allowing someone to pack my things for me and you're ordering me about already."

He simply chose to ignore her while she glared at him. An hour later, Rose had finished showering and had dressed herself in a pair of comfortable jeans and a tank top. She decided to pack her personal items first because she really didn't have that many belongings. There were important papers about Mason giving her authority to be his guardian, their passports, her high school and college certificates and a few treasured pictures.

She'd placed all her papers in a small suitcase but she was distracted by the photos that lay on her bed. It was of her and Mason, about a month after he'd started dating Jill. She'd never been jealous of their relationship and was in fact glad that he'd gone after her because she never bore more than sisterly love towards him. Mason's arm was thrown around her neck and his blue eyes twinkled with mischief, his red hair was unruly and usual and there were cure freckles around his nose. She on the other hand looked completely different than what she looked now. Her long brown hair was shiny and glossy, not limp like what it was now. There was a purple streak running through it on one side. Her head was thrown back and she was laughing, her hair falling behind her. The small nose piercing glittered along with the several piercings on her ears.

She looked carefree and happy, she had nothing to worry about. The picture was taken the year before Mason died. Tears prickled her eyes and fell on the photo and she wiped them away before they could spoil it, it was one of her treasured memories. She couldn't let the movers pack this stuff, it was too personal.

" Who is he? Boyfriend? I hope you haven't told him the truth about this arrangement." Rose jumped at the sound of his voice beside her,she hadn't noticed him entering her room.

"It's none of your business Dimitri."

"It is my business Rose, you're supposed to be my wife. You can't have affairs behind my back. Break off whatever you have with this guy and forget about him."

"You're such an asshole, I don't cheat when I'm in a relationship whether it's a real one or a fake one. If I'm introducing you as my son's new father, I would at least try and make it look real for him. He's Mason's father, my best friend."

She could see that Dimitri didn't have anything to say anymore and she saw how his eyes went over Mason's features as he realised that he was a complete copy of his son, from the blue eyes to the red hair.

" I don't trust you at all, you're in a relationship with me only for money. How can I be sure that you don't sell yourself to any guy with money?"

Tears blurred her vision but she refused to let him see them, he didn't deserve them. She took a few calming breaths and continued to pack, completely ignoring him. When she was done, she could feel his eyes on her back.

His hand shot out and grabbed hers and forced her to turn around.

"I'm sorry, I shouldn't have said that. You're doing it for your son and not for the money, I've seen how much you've sacrificed for that child."

Rose was shocked to find sadness and regret in his eyes. He looked like he wanted to say something more but thought better and left the room quickly. Dimitri Belikov, the rich ruthless Russian had actually apologised to her. This day couldn't get any weirder. By the time Rose had finished, it was seven and time for them to leave.

Dimitri drove them over to his place and Rose couldn't help but fidget in her seat. She was moving into some guy's house, a guy that Rose barely knew. She hated this guy, how could she mange to see him everyday and pretend to love him. She'd lived alone since she was eighteen, it was too late for her to give up her independence and parented to be some trophy wife now.

If Rose had expected Dimitri's house to be anything like his mother's she was so wrong. His family house had a cosy homely feel to it, there were walls with chipped off paint in his family home, colourful handmade rugs, smell of home cooked food and lively chatter. This house on the other hand was empty and without any homely feel. Rose wouldn't call it ugly, as Dimitri gave her a tour of the house. There were statues, expensive paintings and pots in different places but the whole thing screamed money. The shiny metallic appliances in the entertainment room, the office with the laptops, computers and a tv and the library with the hard uncomfortable couch and old boring books.

This was not a house to raise a child in, there was no open place for the kids to run around playing hide and seek or simply enjoy themselves. The whole place looked like it had been built to say that children weren't welcome and Rose wasn't sure if this was the best place for Mason. Didn't Dimitri have a small daughter? How could he raise a child in such a quiet unfriendly atmosphere? Rose felt a strong sense of sadness towards Dimitri's daughter. She didn't have a mother and didn't get any love from her father. The girl must be so miserable.

Just as Rose was thinking of Dimitri's daughter, she came running into the room with a painting in her hand. Before she could stop the little girl she ran to her father waving the painting to show him.

" Look what I made, it's Rose, Mason, you and me living in this big house like a real family." What the little kid forgot was that her painting hadn't dried as yet and flecks of paint flew to Dimitri's pants and on the expensive looking carpet. Dimitri glared at the little girl angrily and Mason edged closer to me and took my hand.

" Sofia, how many times have I told you that you're not allowed to paint in this house and neither are you allowed to run around like a hooligan. As your punishment, you will go to your room and have lunch alone in there. I'll get Alberta to send it in your room."

Sofia's eyes filled with tears but she turned and moved to her room. What surprised her was that Mason left my hand and followed her. Before Dimitri could protest, they both had left the room. A while later, Rose peeped into Sofia's room to find her leaning on Mason's shoulder crying her eyes out. A lump formed in her throat and for the first time Rose was glad she had accepted Dimitri's offer. His daughter had found a friend in Mason and Rose wasn't going to let this girl suffer because of Dimitri's short temper.

She entered the room and scooped the little girl in her arms and rocked her gently.

"W-wh-why doesn't he love me Roza? Why can't he love me like all the other daddy's do? Where is my mummy, why did she leave me with him." Sofia sobbed into her shoulder.

" I don't know baby, but he has no idea what he's missing out. You're the best daughter anybody could have and he doesn't deserve you and as for your mummy, I don't know anything about her but I can be your mummy if you want."

" I want you to be my mummy Roza. Will you love me like you love Mason?" Rose ran her fingers through Sofia's soft brown hair and kissed her forehead.

" Yes, baby. I'll always love you." Rose continued to sooth her till her sobs died down. She let her go when she noticed Dimitri at door.

Leaving Sofia with Mason, Rose walked out of the room and shut the door behind her and faced Dimitri. He was looking at her with an odd look on his face and Rose felt extremely uncomfortable. Yet she glared at him, he had hurt a child's feelings. What kind of a father was he?

"Since Sofia isn't allowed to come out of her room, neither will Mason and I. We're having lunch with her." Rose declared but was shocked when Dimitri didn't protest at all. Was he feeling alright today?

True to her words, Rose didn't leave Sofia's room till both she and Mason had fallen asleep after lunch. A while later, a maid showed her the room she would be staying in. She offered to help Rose put her things and settle down but Rose wanted to do it herself. Luckily, this room was extremely close to both Mason's and Sofia's. According to the maid, Dimitri's room was on the other side of the house away from everybody. Taking out the box that contained all her personal papers and pictures, Rose wondered where to put them. She had hidden them from Mason and she never wanted Dimitri to see her life before Mason. Rose couldn't risk keeping it somewhere open. The huge wardrobe caught her eye and she opened it. It was mostly bare apart from a few clothes that were covered in plastic so Rose couldn't see what they were.

There was a shelf right on top, dusty and unused but it was the perfect spot. Fetching a chair, Rose climbed onto it and pushed her box right at the back until something leathery hit her fingers. Curious, she tugged it but it seemed stuck between the box and the wardrobe. A few more tugs later, it flew from her hand and landed on the floor beside her. Closing the wardrobe and putting away the chair, Rose grabbed the book and moved to her. She flipped to the first page and her eyes fell at the date.

It was Dimitri's diary and he'd written it around six years ago. She knew it was personal, she shouldn't have been going through it but she was curious. What she held in her hand probably contained the answers to her questions. Who was Valerie? Why was Dimitri so different from his family? Why did he dislike her?

A knock on the door sent her jumping to hide the book beneath her pillow. She was going to read it as soon as she had the time. That book could help her get out of the mess she was in and there was no way she was going to give it up.


End file.
